Which term describes using living organisms to produce useful products?

• A. Biotechnology
• B. Genetic engineering
• C. Bioremediation
• D. Fermentation

Answer: (A)

Biotechnology describes using living organisms to produce useful products. This broad field includes harnessing microbes, plants, and cell systems to create medicines, industrial enzymes, biofuels, agricultural improvements, and more. It covers both traditional processes like fermentation—where organisms convert substrates into valuable compounds—and modern methods that involve directly modifying an organism’s genes to achieve new capabilities. The other terms are more specific or applied to different aims: genetic engineering focuses on changing an organism’s genetic material, which is one tool within biotechnology; fermentation is a particular process used within biotechnology, not the general concept itself; and bioremediation uses organisms to clean up environmental pollutants rather than to produce products.